He ‘ōlelo Hawai’i anei ‘oe? (Are you a Hawaiian language speaker?) Hawaiian Airlines has marked an important cultural milestone as Hawai’i’s airline by establishing ōlelo Hawai’i (Hawaiian language) certification program for employees. Launched in time to celebrate ‘ōlelo Hawai’i Month, the certification, which is available at no cost to any of Hawaiian’s 7,200-plus employees, broadens the carrier’s commitment to honor and perpetuate Hawai’i’s rich culture throughout its operations. “Adding ‘ōlelo Hawai’i as a recognized language was a natural move for Hawaiian since the majority of our ‘ohana was either born or raised on our islands,” said Jim Lynde, senior vice president of human resources at Hawaiian Airlines. “We believe the Hawaiian language certification will inspire and empower even more team members to share ‘ōlelo Hawai’i with our guests.” The airline developed the certification program in consultation with numerous Hawaiian language experts, including Dr. Larry Kimura, who is considered the grandfather of Hawaiian language revitalization, and Dr. Leilani Basham, a professor at the University of Hawai’i – West O’ahu who is renowned for perpetuating Hawaiian culture in academia.

EU And UK Reach Post-Brexit Visa-Free Travel Agreement

Travelwire news reports the endless debate regarding the forthcoming Brexit rules between Europe and the Unite Kingdom seems to have come to a final agreement that will allow UK citizens visa-freetravel in EU for up to 90 days. This seems to be the agreement in view of Brexit between Europe and the United Kingdom that would put an end to the uncertainty in the travel sector. It is the most awaited article, in fact, in the proposed law on which the presidency of the EU Council will open negotiations with the British government in the coming days. The new entry visa regulation will allow UK citizens to travel to the Schengen area for a short stay – up to 90 days in a six month period – without a visa. And the same rule will apply to citizens of EU countries traveling to the UK, according to the rule of reciprocity. In fact, according to the European Union legislation, the UK visa exemption is granted only on the condition of equivalence. The solution was reached after the recent impasse when the British government had opposed the definition used in the draft regulation on Gibraltar, defined as a colony. Having removed this term inimical to British representatives, the UK government has already stated that it does not intend to require a visa for European citizens traveling to the United Kingdom for short stays. In the event that the United Kingdom introduces a visa requirement for nationals of at least one Member State in the future, the existing reciprocity mechanism would apply and the three institutions and member states would commit themselves to act without delay in applying the mechanism.

Air Canada To Begin Reducing Single-Use Plastics in 2019

AirCanada is reducingsingle-useplastics onboard aircrafts and in its workplaces as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to curtail waste.

Starting in summer 2019, AirCanada will replace plastic with wood stir sticks in drinks served on all flights, a move that will save 35 million plastic stir sticks annually, enough if laid end-to-end to join Halifax and Vancouver. AirCanada‘s stir stick replacement will be made of bamboo and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which assures products come from responsible sources so that forests remain thriving environments for generations to come, according to the company. AirCanada‘s ongoing plastic reduction efforts also include researching and rethinking important decisions made at various stages of the supply chain. The company is supporting this work in partnership with the University of Toronto graduate students in their final year of their Master of Science in Sustainability Management program. The students are working with AirCanadato identify alternatives to plastic use onboard aircraft. Looking out to 2020, AirCanada has set environmental targets to reduce waste sent to landfills from offices, facilities and Maple Leaf Lounges by 20%, or just under the equivalent weight of two empty Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, and to recycle 50% of approved items onboard. Waste reduction at AirCanada is about more than recycling paper and aluminum cans. For example, since 2016, AirCanada has partnered with Partners in Project Green to distribute lightly used duvets to social service agencies that assist people in need and other duvets are donated to local kennels. To date, more than 13,000 duvets have been donated, equivalent to more than 20,000 kilograms of material. Additionally, when AirCanada announced new uniforms in 2017, solutions to reduce landfill waste were identified: Employee uniform pieces were donated to Brands for Canada, which removed all branding and offered the items to people re-entering the workforce, without the means to purchase new clothes and hoping tobegin new careers. Uniforms shredded and repurposed into stuffing for punching bags were donated to community centers, converted into alternative items such as automotive stuffing or incinerated to generate energy.